1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a corrugated fin type heat exchanger suitable for use, but not restrictively, as an automotive radiator, a heater core of an automotive heating system or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional corrugated fin type heat exchanger for use as an automotive radiator, for example, tubes of substantially rectangular cross-section are arranged in two or three rows in the direction of the flow of air passing through the heat exchanger so that the resistance of the tubes to the flow of the engine cooling water is minimized. The tubes are arranged such that the longitudinal axis of the substantially rectangular cross-section of each tube extends substantially parallel to the flow of air through the heat exchanger to minimize the resistance of the heat exchanger to the air flow therethrough. Because of the two or three rows of the tube arrangement, each of the corrugated fins has a dimension or width of as large as 32 mm as measured in the direction of the flow of the air through the heat exchanger. The pitch of each corrugated fin is also as large as from 3.5 to 4 mm.
The automotive component parts disposed in the engine compartment of motor cars have been increased in number so as to comply with the recent automotive emission control regulations, with a result that the space within the engine compartment available for the installation of a radiator is extremely limited. In addition, it is considered very important to reduce the weights of respective automotive component parts so as to improve the fuel consumption rate of automobiles.